Spring time brings higher water levels in the streams, brooks, and rivers in the area.  This makes for a great opportunity to capture waterfalls and babbling brooks.  The trick to these shots is a long shutter speed, which blurs the flowing water, giving it that silky smooth look.  The effect will start to appear at around a 5 second exposure; the photo above is a 30 second exposure.  To get exposures this long you will want to reduce your ISO (100), use a larger aperture (f11), and shoot in low-light.  Typically it is best to shoot these photos in early morning or late evening.  Adding a neutral density (ND) filter will allow you to shoot in brighter conditions.  This photo was shot with a 10 stop ND filter at around 10am.  Finally, long exposures such as this will require a tripod or resting the camera on a solid surface.

Brendan Wiltse

Brendan Wiltse is the Science & Stewardship Director for the Ausable River Association and a professional conservation photographer. He holds a Ph.D. in Biology from Queen's University in Canada. While not out on the water studying Adirondack lakes and streams, he is often roaming the Wilderness with his camera and dog. You can view is photography at www.brendanwiltse.com

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